In
a city like Boulder, where there is, like, one restaurant for every
six residents, getting crowned the best overall is saying something.
And The Med has repeatedly been awarded this honor. Deservedly
so. They do so many things well, from top-notch service to a wood-fired
oven to delectable drinks to sumptuous tapas to delicious entrees. We
know that when we bring relatives and friends to town, after seeing the
sights on the Pearl Street Mall, this is the place that can satisfy
all discerning tastes. The runner-up, The Kitchen, isn’t exactly a
slouch, either, with its clean atmosphere and locally sourced
ingredients that make you feel good about eating out.

It just seems right that a category with the word “tapas” should honor a restaurant that has the word “Med” in its name, especially since there are so many Spanish appetizers to choose from at this establishment. Just enunciate when you tell your friends — or even more importantly, your in-laws — that you want to go to a tapas bar, or they may think you are referring to a less-respectable joint that features women without blouses. When it comes to respectable, The Med takes the cake in this category yet again, with unbeatable ambiance, a charming patio and a long list of small plates ranging from simple olives and almonds to carefully prepared seafood and meats.

We
know how it is with these business lunches. The boss clamors for
Spanish food. The visiting executive wants Greek. The worker bees are
making overtures about Italian. And the IT guy wants Egyptian. Well,
you are in luck. There is a place that serves all of these cuisines and
more, and it’s in downtown Boulder. It’s The Med, and the
ambiance is perfect for professionals, whether you get seated on the
gorgeous patio or in one of the clean, tastefully decorated dining
rooms. The menu is diverse enough to satisfy all tastes, and if it’s
one of those three-martini lunches, they can accommodate!

Whether
you’re hosting a wedding, bar mitzvah or birthday bash, everyone knows
one of the key ingredients to creating an event to remember is the
food. Since 1987, A Spice of Life Catering has made a name for
itself as a caterer that won’t leave you hanging with overcooked steaks
or too few salmon fillets. If you prefer full-service, A Spice of Life
boasts its own event center in addition to specialized vegetarian,
kosher and brunch menus. But beyond the great food, A Spice of Life
takes its mission of sustainability seriously, with a commitment to
farm-to-table ingredients, zero waste and giving back to the community.

Top
honors in this category have changed this year, as Boulder’s finest
continue to jockey for best fine-dining experience. Rising from second
place, Flagstaff House has grabbed the top spot with its
French-American menu, devised by Executive Chef Mark Monette after
extensive experience in kitchens in New York, France and Asia.

Flagstaff
House knows how to get everything about a fine dining experience
right. Romantic tables overlook Boulder from the restaurant’s spot
nestled on the mountainside. The wine list boasts an enormous,
award-winning collection of wines, and its menu items have included
Maine Day Boat Lobster and Buffalo Filet Mignon and Foie Gras
“Wellington.” And there’s the attentive waitstaff, who keep your plate
warm with tasters between courses. Headed by Monette, his brother Scott
and father Don, staff continue to earn Flagstaff House national
accolades. To our readers, the dining at Flagstaff is as fine as the
view.

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s a bright pink food truck serving up Mexican comfort food out of a kitchen on wheels.

It’s hard to miss the Comida food
truck stopped on a side street, standing out against a mundane,
ever-so-normal neighborhood, the smell of sizzling steak and pork
carnitas wafting in the breeze. Changing the game of fast food, Comida
serves $3 tacos and $2 Mexican Cokes to those trying to eat on the run —
or anyone hoping to break up the monotony of leftovers in the office
break room. Curious diners can catch the pink truck at festivals, in
office parks and at neighborhood events.

On
a first date, you don’t want to go over the top, visiting a
super-expensive, ritzy, pretentious place that will make your date feel
like you are either a stuck-up snob or about to pop the question. And
yet you don’t want to go too lowbrow. Your love interest will think you
are a cheapskate if your idea of splurging is super-sizing your extra
value meal. That’s why The Med is such a great option for a first
date. It’s a comfortable yet elegant environment without the pretense
and prices that usually come with a nice restaurant. And your date will
easily find something to like on the wide-ranging menu. Even, um,
dates.

Crisis: you’re hungry. But you’re glued to your couch. No worries, dude — order a pizza. If you order from this year’s winner, Cosmo’s Pizza, you
can get free delivery. Sweet. Cosmo’s has two Boulder locations,
including one on the Hill. Their menu offers popular pizzas like the
Hawaiian, the Veggie Supreme and the Meat Lovers. Load up with extra
toppings like artichoke hearts, fresh basil or anchovies. As a side, you
can order a pint of Cosmo’s homemade spicy ranch dressing in which to
dip your crusts.

Do you really need that slice of pizza after last call? Yes, you do. Luckily, Cosmo’s Pizza serves
up its pizza and calzones and spicy ranch dressing until 2 a.m. Don’t
forget — even if pizza helps soak up some toxins, it won’t replace
brain cells. Also, if the room is spinning, or slanting, or otherwise
disobeying the laws of contemporary pizza-place design, late-night pizza
may not be your best choice. Perhaps you’d be better off at the Dark
Horse, the second-place winner, where comparably booze-absorbing bar
food is served through an easily navigable window from bar to kitchen.

The
only reasonable argument we’ve ever encountered for derailing once
you’ve got a Sun restaurant on the mind (the Southern Sun and Mountain
Sun having becoming much-loved Boulder institutions) is the wait time.
It’s hard to not share your craving for craft beer and solid pub fare
with many, many other hungry and thirsty people.

So
when the Sun estates announced they were expanding in Boulder by
acquiring a recently vacated space in the same shopping center as the
Southern Sun, cheers likely went up around town. But it’s still
surprising — and impressive — to see Under the Sun hop to the front of the Best New Restaurant category just a few months after opening their doors.

What
those doors open to is a world where Sun taps are shared with other
carefully cultivated beer choices, the menu makes plentiful use of a
large wood-fired oven for entrees like tasty flatbread pizzas and
roasted chicken, and the staff carries on with the same cheerful and
friendly feelings that other Sun restaurants have made a fundamental
part of a cherished brand. So we’ll happily raise a glass to — or, more
optimistically, actually at — this latest Boulder institution.

The
light of Under the Sun may have taken the lead, but let’s not let the
sun blind us entirely. Our runner-up in the new restaurants category,
Shine (are we sensing a theme here?) with its entirely gluten-free menu
and generous vegetarian options, is another welcome addition to the
community. And, beer aficionados that we are, we’re glad to see FATE
Brewery arrive on the scene as well. May their new, extra-fancy brewing
system see many a long pour.

Dining
outdoors at Chautauqua means taking a seat on the wrap-around porch
and taking in the views of the scenic Chautauqua Park. Whether
pre-concert or post-hike in the Flatirons, it’s an idyllic setting in
which to enjoy offerings from a menu that focuses on Colorado products,
including locally made beer, liquor and wine as well as produce from
local farms.

If
you’re looking for ambiance, it’s hard to beat a place where you can
either sit outside, listening to Boulder Creek babble by, or dine under a
ceiling that was hand-carved and painted with Persian art halfway
around the world. The cedar columns inside the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse, of
which no two are exactly alike, were also carved without the use of
any power tools in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. The teahouse was sent to
Boulder from its sister city, Dushanbe, in ready-to-reassemble parts,
as a symbol of international friendship. We’ve welcomed it with
tourists, locals, business meetings and special-occasion gatherings —
and anyone else who can’t get enough of the unmatched atmosphere.

But
if your preferred ambiance involves wine or breathtaking views, you
may go for the runner-up, the Flagstaff House, which is built high on
Flagstaff Road and overlooks Boulder.

There’s
a war going down in the restaurants of Boulder. It’s a very polite war.
Its weapons are speed, smiles and samples. Its armor is aprons and
no-slip shoes. Its battleground is the unsuspecting diner. But, trust
us, that’s a good thing.

The
Walnut has long been known for super-friendly service, which can
include banana bread and coffee for those waiting for tables. The staff
is prompt and friendly, and comes armed with advice and
recommendations, a good thing when you’re staring down a blended coffee
drink menu as expansive as the Walnut’s. The same is true for the
runner-up Suns and their beer.

You
don’t know if you want Chinese, Nepalese, Italian or just plain old
American. All you know is that you’re starving and way too tired to
worry about making dinner, let alone putzing around the grocery store.
You know you need take out, and you need it now. From Asian to
Mediterranean to American food, Noodles & Company has all
your bases covered. Whether it’s homestyle mac & cheese for the
kiddos, a Mediterranean salad you’re taking to the gluten-free neighbor
or a bowl of savory Thai curry soup you want all to yourself, Noodles
has got your back. So, fear not, hungry Boulderites, for Noodles is fast
food that you can feel good about grabbing.

STAFF PICK: Place to
Get a Gluten-Free Panini and a Chocolate/Bacon Bar While Looking at
Local Art and Listening to Live Folk Music

SUN ROSE CAFE379 Main St., Longmont, 303-651-3533

Yep, you can get all that and more at the Sun Rose Cafe. This
place is definitely a little different, in a very good way. The Sun
Rose supports the local arts scene by providing abundant space on its
exposed brick walls for artists to show their wares. And a regular
lineup of folk and bluegrass music keeps the place lively. The menu has a
great selection of sandwiches and salads, and in the evening the Sun
Rose rolls out a special menu of fine dining to accompany the regular
menu choices. And they sell an eclectic selection of organic products,
from chocolate to chips to sauces and beverages that you can’t find just
anywhere. It’s well worth checking out.

STAFF PICK: Hole in the Wall

RESTAURANTE 100% MEXICANO 2850 Iris Ave., 303-440-4141

Calling a restaurant a “hole in the wall” isn’t a bad thing, any more than calling a shirt “long-sleeved” is. It’s just a fact.

And no restaurant’s more of a hole in the wall than Restaurante 100% Mexicano, a
cafeteria-bright spot tucked into the Diagonal Plaza’s mini-mall with a
DMV office and a check-cashing service, among others. But 100% isn’t
just the biggest hole in the wall. It’s also the best. 100% is a truly
authentic Mexican restaurant, meaning you won’t see Combination Special
No. 5 on the menu, you’ll see eight tortas and menudo — weekends only,
naturally — not to mention tongue tacos and birria lamb stew. It’s the
kind of place that has horchata, carrot juice and Jamaican flower
juice.